


Parent Day

by jothtendou



Series: OC Adventures: Jett Paris [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bad Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 16:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10364295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jothtendou/pseuds/jothtendou
Summary: Bring-your-parents-to-college day sucks when your parents consider you their biggest disappointment.





	

           The Parent Day Festival that Amaranth University hosted each year was by far the worst event the college sponsored. Whoever had come up with the idea should be subjected to a twelve-hour day with Jett’s parents. Colton and Lydia Paris were a classic rags-to-riches couple. Neither of them had a penny to their name when they graduated high school, Lydia pregnant with Jett’s older sister. But, through hard work and many sleepless nights, they were able to build the empire. Colton had developed one of the most popular computer operating systems and went on to work with similar technology in his business. Lydia had written countless bestselling novels and had adapted most into blockbuster movies. The power couple had even built their own estate and had that named after them as well.

They were rich, powerful, renowned for their accomplishments and backbreaking hard work, but they held little compassion for their youngest child.

“This is such a nice University,” Lydia commented, adjusting her large sunglasses. She was a slight woman with a figure formed from years of yoga and Pilates. Her dark hair was cut in a short bob and her lips were always painted — today’s color was a red that reminded Jett of bloody knuckles.

“It’s a shame our dear Katia didn’t attend, but she’s doing well regardless,” Colton said. Jett’s father was only an inch taller than his mother, but his frame was much broader. Both his parents were shorter than Jett by half a foot. More than once the two of them had made offhand comments that maybe the doctors had given them the wrong baby at the hospital.

“Oh, Katia! Honey, we should fly out to visit her before we go home. Make a day of it.”

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll have our pilot prepare a course for us before we head out tonight.”

Jett remained silent at his parents’ sides while they gushed over his sister. This was not abnormal. In fact, it was standard for the two to soothe themselves with talk of his perfect sister before they began berating him. Jett would much rather listen to his parents praise Katia for her medical surgeon successes than deal with their criticism of his own achievements.

But, of course, the stalemate could not — would not — last long.

As the small group passed the lacrosse team tent, the current captain, Zen, walked up and clapped Jett on the back. The action made Jett stiffen and his narrow eyes turned to glare at his senior, but he said nothing. Not out of respect for his captain, but because his parents were with him.

“Jett!” Zen greeted with a bright smile. He had a dark complexion and long dreadlocks he now had tied up in a bun on the top of his head. “Your parents showed up? A good lookin’ bunch you all are! Nice to meet you, Mister and Misses Paris. My name is Zen. I’m the captain of the lacrosse team. I hope you’ll come out to see our match tonight?”

Jett grimaced. He’d nearly forgotten about the official match that was scheduled tonight.

As expected, Lydia took Zen’s hand and gave her notorious “polite” smile. “Thank you, Zen. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. I’m curious, though; why do you think we’d be interested in attending a lacrosse game, of all things?”

Zen’s smile faltered, but he caught himself and gave a short laugh. “Because Jett here’s on the team! He’s a good middie — possibly the best we’ve got on the lineup right now.”

The silence that followed was unbearable. Jett knocked his captain’s hand from his shoulder and gestured for his parents to keep walking ahead. They did, neither of them commenting about his position on the team until they were out of earshot from Zen.

“Lacrosse?” Colton asked, a word that triggered Lydia’s disapproval.

“How barbaric of you,” Lydia said, rhythmically hitting her clutch purse against her palm as they walked. “Fitting, I suppose. I hope you haven’t bludgeoned anyone on that field. I won’t be watching. I’m not interested in sports, much less one so violent.”

Jett remained silent aside from a monotonous “yes ma’am.” There was no arguing with his mother. There was never back talk of any sort. Jett had never been violent or crass toward his parents. Despite the way they treated him, Jett respected them. They had birthed him, after all. They could have easily thrown him out any number of times. They had the resources to delete him from their family whenever they wanted, but they kept him around no matter how much they verbally abused him. Maybe that was what made it worth it for them, to keep such an unruly child.

“How are your grades? Do you have a copy of them?” Lydia asked, promptly changing the subject.

Jett did, in fact, have a copy of his grades on his person. He reached into his faux leather jacket and pulled out the folded sheet of paper to hand over. It didn’t matter what grades he had now. It didn’t matter that he had a perfect average. His mother would complain regardless.

“Oh, right,” Lydia mumbled. “You’re majoring in Law. We really shouldn’t have let you choose this path of study. It seems like a danger to the people you might face in court. What if you lose your temper and start beating someone to death right in front of the judge and all those witnesses? You wouldn’t get away with it then. They’d ship you right off to prison. Then your father and I would have spent all this money on you going to this University for nothing. Is that what you want, Jett? Has that been your plan all along? To waste our money on you?”

Jett was numb as he said, “No, ma’am.” He felt nothing. The presence of his parents had that effect on him. It was a good thing he had a game tonight. That would give him something to burn his energy off on.

“Let’s get on with the rest of this event,” Colton said. “Maybe we’ll meet other parents. This is a great networking opportunity, Lydia.”

Lydia nodded and pursed her red lips. “I wonder if cute little Muri is here… Oh, such a good child. I should have sent Jett to spend more time with him when they were teenagers. Maybe my son would have turned out more like him.”

Jett was tempted to reveal how Muri really was, how rotten he could truly be, but he couldn’t do that without exposing himself along with Bennett and Yuuya. The self-proclaimed Nobles of the university who passed their free time by bullying others. There was no point. Maybe he could slip away while they were talking with other adults. They wouldn’t miss him, anyway. If anything, they’d be thankful not to have him trailing behind them and tarnishing their perfect image.

All Jett could do was wait, graduate as valedictorian, and become a damn good lawyer. He would suffer now to prove his parents wrong later. It was the only plan he had to earn his parents’ respect. 


End file.
